1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing amorphous alloy materials having high mechanical strength and high toughness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present inventors have already discovered aluminum-based alloys and Mg-based alloys having excellent strength, corrosion resistance, etc., as described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 64-47831 and 3-10041, respectively. The alloys described in these Japanese applications have been developed with the object of obtaining single-phase amorphous alloys.
It is generally known that some amorphous alloys are crystallized when being heated to a certain temperature (crystallization temperature) and become brittle. The present inventors have discovered that a high strength material can be obtained from a specific alloy whose composition is so controlled that fine crystal grains comprising additive elements dissolved in a main alloying element to form a supersaturated solution are dispersed throughout an amorphous matrix and made Japanese Patent Application No. 2-59139 which was laid open to public inspection under Laid-Open No. 3-260037. The process described in this patent application is carried out by controlling the cooling rate in the preparation of the alloys by liquid quenching. The resulting alloy is not beyond alloy powders or thin ribbons ordinarily obtained.